If you've been downtown for Comic-Con this week, you've probably noticed all the 'Con-promoting banners. They read, and I quote, “Celebrating the Popular Arts.” Popular? As opposed to unpopular? This is a longtime bugaboo of mine, even if it's just a semantics-related one. Why are movies, television, rock 'n' roll, DVDs, videos and yes, comic books/graphic novels designated “popular arts,” while theater, dance and visual art (paintings, sculpture, photography, etc.) are labeled “the fine arts”? ...

Who's the greatest living American film actor with a lifelong body of work to his credit? Think about it. We lost Paul Newman and Charlton Heston last year, and just a few weeks ago Karl Malden passed away at the age of 97. Wishing and hoping as I write this that each of these heavyweights is with us for a long, long time, I present here 10 of our very best, in alphabetical order: Robert ...

So the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is doubling from five to 10 the number of movies that will be nominated for a best-picture Oscar. This move takes effect next year, when the awards are handed out on March 7. Don't be surprised if the telecast isn't over until March 8. The extra clips, and accompanying extra hype, are sure to pad an already bloated show. To maintain viewer concentration, shouldn't the Academy ...

“Twelfth Night” is, if not the best of Shakespeare's comedies (and it may be that), certainly the most enjoyable. It's got love. It's got cross-dressing and mistaken identity. It's got pranksters like Feste the clown and Sir Toby Belch, and a pompous blowhard to end all pompous blowhards in Malvolio. No wonder, then, that “Twelfth Night” turns up time and again in Shakespeare festivals the world 'round, including at the Old Globe here, where it's ...

“Whatever Works” is not only the title of Woody Allen's movie-making return to his beloved New York City after a five-year hiatus, it's the proud philosophy of cranky ol' Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David), the film's limping antihero, who doesn't so much yell as kvetch. A lot. Sometimes directly into the camera. “Whatever Works” also seems to have applied to the script, a lethargic effort from the prolific Allen that not even a game cast, the ...

In Russian history, “the 20th century is unbelievably interesting,” says Elena Vizuet, director of the San Diego a capella vocal ensemble Musica Vitale. Vizuet should know: She was born in the then-Soviet Union before coming to the United States 10 years ago. “The music,” she adds, “reflected the changing times.” You can hear for yourself on Sunday afternoon, when Musica Vitale presents “Voices of the Motherland – Russian Music of the 20th Century” at All ...

I grew up in a family where everyone loved movies, my father included. The first one I recall him talking up was “Stagecoach,” the old John Ford Western with John Wayne starring as the Ringo Kid. My dad also cherished the chariot race from 1959's “Ben Hur,” so much so that he separately taped that 7½-minute sequence from the film for repeat viewings. We watched it together many times. I didn't always see eye-to-eye with ...

Finally! After what seems like a decade or more of promises, delays and letdowns, Neil Young has released the first massive multimedia project (four are anticipated) documenting his extraordinary career. “Neil Young Archives Volume I, 1963-1972” is a boxed set to end all boxed sets. It's now available as eight full-length CDs, 10 DVD discs or 10 Blu-ray discs. The latter is Young's preferred format. A perfectionist when it comes to recorded sound quality, the ...

Let's hear it, belatedly, for Anthony Dod Mantle. Whaddaya mean “who?” Just a couple of months ago, he won the Oscar for best cinematography for his work on “Slumdog Millionaire.” If you remember the sweeping scope and stirring visuals of that film, you can understand why Anthony Dod Mantle was honored with a gold statuette. It will console him in his anonymity (at least outside the technical arm of the movie industry). This also may ...

Note to TV networks: Don't get real. Reality shows have not only dumbed down American TV viewers to imbecile level, but they've made the lion's share of television “programming” unwatchable. Network bean counters long ago discovered that it's cheaper to buy reality shows than hour-long dramas or sitcoms. NBC even decided it's cheaper to buy a prime-time hour of Jay Leno's talk-show shtick every weeknight than a scripted series with a cast and sets and ...